How often do you really need to restart your smartphone?

Take a look at your surroundings right now, and you’ll likely see almost everyone carrying a smartphone. You may even be reading this article on your smartphone.

Our lives revolve around these little devices. We connect with loved ones via text, organize our calendars, post our memories and funny memes on social media, listen to music, watch videos and even shop with smartphones.

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So, when they aren’t running efficiently, life can feel a little crazy and disconnected. Most of us know the solution to a laggy smartphone is simply restarting it.

But is restarting your smartphone simply a troubleshooting step to take when your device locks up or slows down? Or, could having a normal routine of restarting your smartphone help it run better?

What Do Smartphone Carriers Say?

Your network could come into play here, so we started our quest for answers by looking up what mobile companies and smartphone carriers recommend for restarting frequency.

T-Mobile suggests restarting an iPhone or Android device “at least once a week,” according to its support website.

Their website explains that phones can occasionally disconnect from the T-Mobile network, and when that happens, restarting the phone can clear up ay connectivity or speed issues.

T-Mobile also lists other benefits to weekly smartphone restarts. Benefits include helping to clear memory, improving app speed, preventing the phone from overheating and improving Wi-Fi calling connectivity.

Verizon support team members observed that battery drain is possible after Samsung operating system updates for up to one week. After a software update, the smartphone battery can work harder while optimizing. This lead to higher battery use. In online chats with customers, the support team recommends restarting the phone.

Tech Experts Weigh In on Restart Frequency

Neither Samsung nor Apple provides specific guidelines regarding how often users should restart their phones beyond required updates or if they’re not working properly. An in-depth search of their support pages showed no detailed recommendations about regular restart routines.

Tech experts have differing opinions, though. David Attard, a digital consultant for CollectiveRay.com, suggested smartphone users restart their devices at least twice a month in an interview with SheFinds.

“Restarting the phone just stops all applications that may be running in the background,” he said. “This means with nothing running in the background, your phone will run faster. This also improves the battery life of your iPhone.”

Similarly, restarting your smartphone can help prevent crashes due to outdated or improperly working code that gets stuck with new app installations or uninstalls, according to tech consultant Bob Motamedi.

“Sometimes these remnants are incompatible or improperly removed after installation or uninstallation,” he told Reader’s Digest. “Restarting your phone will eliminate most of these issues and will get your phone working better.”

Should you restart your phone every day, then? Attard says semi-monthly or weekly reboots are more than sufficient.

“Anything more than that is completely unnecessary,” Attard concluded.